An Internet-based service provider provides its services to its users regardless of which network operator provides Internet access for the user. Network operators owning the access and the subscription of a user often have additional capabilities/enablers beyond best effort transport of bits. Such capabilities/enablers could include information about the user or the user's device (hereafter “user information”). For example, such user information could include: the location of the user's device, the availability of the user's device, information from the user's profile, etc.
Such user information may be provided to Internet service providers for a fee so that the service providers can enhance their service offerings and/or provide targeted advertisements to keep a service free of charge. Of course, privacy is a key concern for users. That is, for example, an operator should not forward potentially sensitive information about a user to a service provider unless the user has given his/her consent and/or the identity of the user is sufficiently hidden.
In one business model, a service provider that wants to obtain such user information from network operators makes a business agreement and a technical integration with each network operator whose users the service provider wants to reach. But, this is an impractical solution because the service provider typically wants to reach users of many different operators.
What is desired are systems and methods for enabling a service provider to obtain user information while, at the same time, ensuring that the users' privacy concerns are met.